Preview and odds for Saturday’s Premier League clash
Pep Guardiola’s side have the chance to increase their 10-point advantage over the Blues at the top of the Premier League table as we pick out some Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
A defeat for Thomas Tuchel’s men would surely see them waving the white flag of surrender in the title race and they travel north having won just one of their last five top-flight fixtures.
Saturday’s match at the Etihad Stadium kicks off at 12.30pm and is live on BT Sport.
An unstoppable force
Manchester City have been in imperious form this season and it is difficult to see how to stop the purring Citizens, who have won 11 straight Premier League games since a shock defeat to Crystal Palace in October.
They have overtaken Liverpool to become the division’s highest scorers and the lack of a recognised striker has been no problem at all as the goals have been shared amongst City’s vast array of attacking talent.
If the forwards get all the plaudits, it is the defenders who are the unsung heroes of Manchester City’s title defence. They have conceded the lowest number of goals in the league and have kept 12 Premier League clean sheets in their opening 21 fixtures.
It is 6/4 for another clean sheet for the home side, with a Manchester City win to nil, like they recorded at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, 19/10 in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
City have also scored 13 goals in their last two home fixtures and they will fancy their chances of adding to that tally against an injury-hit Blues side.
A victory for the hosts with over 4.5 match goals is 6/1, while it is the same price for the Citizens to find the net four or more times themselves in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
December Blues
Chelsea did look the team to beat in the title race earlier in the season, but they are now out to 28/1 in the Premier League winner odds and have plenty of ground to make up on their rivals.
Some would argue the writing was on the wall when they struggled to contain City at home earlier this season and that defeat at Stamford Bridge earlier in the campaign was when the momentum started to shift in favour of the defending champions.
Their title challenge hasn’t been helped by injuries to key personnel, but the bitterest pill to swallow would have been a frustrating end to December which saw Chelsea win just one of their last five Premier League games, drawing four.
Eleven of the 16 Premier League goals they have conceded have come in their last eight top-flight fixtures and their once rock-solid defence is now looking shaky.
Star shot-stopper Edouard Mendy is now away with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, which means a prolonged spell between the sticks for Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is yet to win over the Blues supporters and has proven prone to a clanger in his time at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are 4/1 to win away for the ninth time this term, but their tendency to draw of late means there could be plenty of value in the 14/5 for a share of the spoils in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
Tuchel appeared to have the wool over Guardiola last season, winning all three of the times the teams clashed at the latter end of the season.
The German gaffer ended City’s hopes of a domestic treble when downing the Citizens in the semi-final of the FA Cup and heaped further misery on Guardiola’s men when denying them a first Champions League triumph in Porto in May.
That Champions League final victory for the Blues seemed to suggest Tuchel had cracked the method to stop the all-conquering City attack.
However, it was Guardiola who had Tuchel tearing his hair out at Stamford Bridge earlier this season as his side refused to give Chelsea a moment to breateh by dominating proceedings from start to finish. They recorded a 1-0 win which rather underestimated their control of the contest.
Guardiola will take plenty of satisfaction if he is able to complete the double over Tuchel’s Chelsea and his side are priced up at 4/6 to take home the three points in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
Redemption for Lukaku
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has proved frustrating since making the switch from Inter Milan in the summer and although scoring three in his opening three Premier League appearances for the Blues, has added just two more top-flight goals.
Having missed the latter part of October and most of November with injury, the Belgium international has been slightly off the pace since returning to the pitch, but the biggest problems have been caused by his comments off the pitch when he hinted at wanting a move away from Stamford Bridge.
His comments went down like a lead balloon with both his manager and the Chelsea faithful and the 28-year-old was left out of the Blues squad that took on Liverpool recently.
Clear-the-air talks have resulted in Lukaku returning to the starting line-up, but goals may be the biggest olive branch of all to those who feel let down by the big-money signing.
He is 15/2 to break the deadlock in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips, while it is 22/1 in a #YourCall special for Lukaku to score two or more in a Chelsea win or draw that features over 3.5 goals.
Key trends
Three of the last four games in this fixture have finished 1-0 and it is 9/2 for this game to feature just a solitary goal in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
A victory for the hosts by that scoreline is 13/2, while it is 14/1 for Chelsea to repeat the result they registered in the Champions League final in May.
There have been more than three goals in this contest only twice in the last five years and therefore under 3.5 could come up trumps at 2/5 in Manchester City v Chelsea betting tips.
